Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving lead Dallas Mavericks to ‘Chess Match’ play-off vs. LA Clippers

With the Mavericks thriving since the trade deadline acquisitions of Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington, along with a high level of chemistry between Doncic and Kyrie Irving, they are undoubtedly a tall order to face on their own. Dallas finished with a 50-win season despite a 26-23 record in 49 games, led by much-improved defensive execution and consistent availability of their superstar backcourt after previous injuries.

“I think our chemistry is at the top,” Doncic said. “We play great defense and we play great basketball.”

Irving brings the Mavericks championship experience as a player who helped a Cleveland Cavaliers team to the one and only 2016 NBA Finals with LeBron James. An important detail to remember, however, is that Lue was the head coach of that team, meaning Irving and Lue will have their unique perspectives in the typical chess match that plays out during a playoff series.

“I think this is more or less the beginning of a chess match,” Irving said. “You try to think three moves ahead, try to anticipate the risks your opponent is going to take and what he’s going to show. I’ve been able to play on the same team as (Tyronn Lue), so I feel like I know him at this moment well enough, and he knows me well enough.

“But I’m in a different place in my life now, and so is he. I’m not the young 24-year-old kid that he could just throw into this predicament,” Irving explained. “I know what to expect, but I’m also curious about what adjustments he will make.”

Irving metaphorically compared postseason basketball preparation and competition to war, both in terms of the intensity and strategic elements that go into a series. After Game 1, teams can gauge how they’re performing and take countermeasures heading into Game 2. While the pressure to perform is there, Irving encouraged his teammates without postseason experience to take advantage of the fun they had as kids.

“Be prepared for war, metaphorically,” Irving said. “It’s the hardest and toughest time to win ball games because you know the other team well. You know their tendencies, their habits. There are quite a few adjustments after Game 1. … You have to be balanced, stay focused, limit distractions and just do what you’ve been doing since you were a kid – and have fun doing it.”

The Mavericks are willing to see a wide range of different potential looks from Lue’s team given the creativity he has shown in previous games. Whether it’s blitzing or guarding Doncic with Ivica Zubac, Dallas understands it has to be ready for anything.

“We’ve seen a lot of different things this year on the defensive end (of the Clippers and everyone else), double teams, starting with (Ivica) Zubac on Luka – so his (Lue’s) creativity is high and we’re prepared. therefore.”

There is already a strong sense of familiarity between Doncic and the Clippers, as the two sides faced off in the playoffs in 2020 and 2021. Although Harden and Westbrook were not involved in the game previously, Doncic understands what is going on in the confrontation with Leonard and George. in the late season.

“Those two play well together and everyone knows what they can do offensively and defensively,” Doncic said. “So every match will be difficult. These two guys are great players, and it will be hard to stop them.”

What is the difference between the previous Mavericks teams and the current team that Doncic should try to take down the Clippers? “We have Kai,” Doncic replied.

Doncic praised the entire team as he followed through on his thoughts, expressing his respect for the talent the Clippers have on their roster.

“The whole team is different,” Doncic said. “We play great together, but the Clippers have a great team. They have incredible talent, so every game will be very tough.”

The Mavericks and Clippers had the first solid playoff matchup of the NBA postseason, long before they had even completed their final regular season games. The two parties have been working in the cinema for quite some time to prepare for each other.

“There’s a lot of film,” Kidd said. “Players sometimes get worried when they watch films. But I thought the guys did a great job today of being patient and understanding what part of the season we’re in with the playoffs and understanding the details of what we’re asking them to do. There’s a combination of being able to watch film, talk about the details and then get on the floor and go up and down.”

The defensive goal against a team with this much talent is to make them work for their scoring opportunities. The Mavericks defense prides itself on requiring offensive players to use multiple movements to reach their desired spot on the court before challenging the shot.

“We’re trying to get these guys to their second or third move, but they’re still good enough to make those shots,” Kidd said. “I just try to get them out of their comfort zone and be able to rebound the ball. We talked about the things we’ve done over the last 20 games, continuing our habits defensively and also offensively. We have shown that we can defend at a high level. Now it’s a matter of doing it during the play-offs.”

Leading up to Game 1, a few critical factors have been raised, including the need to maintain a high pace, receive bench production and take advantage of a “one-two punch” center tandem in Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II, while still having the option to go small with Maxi Kleber.

The Mavericks went from 29th last season to seventh this season while experiencing a big increase in transition points per game. With Irving’s trademark aggression pushing the pace, along with Doncic making forward throw passes and serving as a trailer when he’s not going coast-to-coast, Dallas has a solid group of personnel to be reckoned with when playing with speed and depth. to keep it going, mainly driven by Dante Exum from the bench.

“The playoffs tend to slow down,” Kidd said. “For us, we don’t want them to slow down. We want to keep playing at that pace. Using our depth to our advantage is something that has helped us this season.

“And that’s something we have to rely on in this series is that we can run and their defense doesn’t get going,” Kidd explained. “They are very good on defense. They have great hands, they can swipe, come up with a lot of steals and play at a very high level in the passing lanes.

With the Clippers relying on Ivica Zubac to protect the rim and finish, the Mavericks are now better equipped to handle the execution in the paint on both ends. Gafford and Lively

“In order for your two bigs to pass the baton back and forth, we ask them to protect the rim, make rim runs and make plays with the double team,” Kidd said. “Those two have done that at a high level, and we will need them to do that in this series.”

Gafford remains intrigued by the potential Lively has shown during games and even when they worked together in a practice setting. Lively will get his first taste of basketball after the season to close out his rookie season.

“The sky’s the limit for the young guy,” Gafford said. “He comes in and works day in and day out. I’ve seen him progress, and he’s been patient on the floor and found a way to slow the game down for himself a little bit.

“He pretty much just does the things that guys trust him to do on the floor, whether it’s finishing around the rim, making plays around the perimeter, etc.,” Gafford explained.

Whether it’s Tim Hardaway Jr.’s shooting, Lively’s presence in the paint or Exum’s all-around skills, the Mavericks have greater depth behind a revamped starting five than they’ve had in previous postseason runs in the Doncic era have benefited from.

We need our bench to play at a high level,” Kidd said. “They’re an X-factor, and hopefully it’s on our side and the guys coming off the bench can knock down some shots and come up with a big stop.”

When the postseason starts, preparation is only so important. If special talents like Doncic and Irving can rise to the occasion, it goes a long way, especially if they don’t allow themselves to do what it takes to get the job done even if a shot doesn’t fall.

“When the going gets tough, you know you have someone in the foxhole with you ready to shoot out all their ammo,” Irving said. “We need people like that who are not afraid to empty their clip.”

A mutual understanding and chemistry between the Mavericks’ superstar backcourt allows them to get the best out of each other in crucial moments. It will be tested in the postseason environment, where both players tend to take their games to the next level.

“I can look at Luka and say, ‘Hey man, come on, turn this up a little bit,’ or he can say, ‘Come on, Kai.’ He will say it in his language,” Irving said.

The Clippers’ perspective focused on preventing Doncic’s passing ability from fully engaging the Mavericks’ offense. This contrasts with previous postseason encounters, when Lue planned to make Doncic a scorer. Still, it will be more of a challenge considering he has Irving in the backcourt and wings who are better able to attack off the catch and get into the paint.

“They’re a strong team when Luka has 40, 15 and eight or nine, so we know he’s going to score the basketball. He’s so good,” Lue said. “He gets plenty of attempts to score the basketball. So we can’t let him get 40, 15 and 8.

“If he gets 40 and five or 40 and four, that’s a different team. So now guys aren’t getting open 3s, guys aren’t getting shots,” Lue explained. “And so you just have to pick your poison and see how the night goes, see what he does that night, and then move on. But if he has those 40-point games, but he has 15 or 16 assists, you’re going to have a long night towards.”

The Mavericks and Clippers will battle in Los Angeles for the first two games of the series before it shifts to Dallas for Games 3 and 4. With Leonard’s status in question and a lot of additional context casting doubt on his playing prospects, the Clippers might face another team later in the series so Dallas could adjust for the showdown, adding extra intrigue to the typical series chess match.